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…grey squirrels as possible. Therefore the aim of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project is to strategically protect Scotland’s currently widespread red squirrel and help them thrive in as much of their original range as possible. We believe this is both feasible and desirable for maintaining Scotland’s natural heritage and biodiversity. Captive breeding programmes are very expensive, laborious and unnecessary… […]

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North East Volunteer Spotlight: Celebrating our volunteer Janice Drew as she moves on to pastures new!

…are 18 of these in South Scotland and 1 in Fife. They are always looking for volunteers to join and help with a variety of roles, including grey squirrel monitoring and control. Get in touch with your local group here: https://bit.ly/3OoRt9S We are currently specifically advertising for volunteer grey squirrel dispatchers for the Annandale, Castle Douglas and Solway Forest Red… […]

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Celebrating a red squirrel champion

…of practice! So, a combination of skills acquired ‘on the job’, happened to equip me well for my current role as a volunteer for the cause of red squirrels here. Within the network of networks that is the Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland, there must be people with many different backgrounds and experience: teachers for all ages, website editors,… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

  What would the full recovery of Scotland’s red squirrel population look like? This is the question being tackled by the Scottish Squirrel Group, a multi-disciplinary group convened by NatureScot and made up of key Government agencies, land owners and managers, volunteer groups, researchers and academics, and environmental NGOs in order to revise the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation… […]

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Southern Uplands Partnership Guest Blog: Funding Success for Red Squirrel Recovery Network

…places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are. We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund www.heritagefund.org.uk… […]

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Seasonal Squirrels Part 1: Spring!

for adult squirrels chasing each other and foraging for food and nesting materials. Make sure you report any sightings of red squirrels, especially families! You can report the maximum number of red squirrel squirrels seen at any one time 2-3 times a year, here: scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/   Rebecca Bradley (SSRS Office & Comms Volunteer) Katie Berry (SSRS Communications & Engagement Officer)… […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…is one of the remaining red squirrel strongholds in England. Working closely with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and their Red Squirrel Project Officer, we carried out live-capture trapping to record population demographics (e.g. numbers of males/females, adults/juveniles, and breeding individuals), insert PIT tags (a type of microchip, similar to those used for pet cats and dogs, for identifying individuals), and […]

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News: Over £1M in new funding awarded to aid red squirrel recovery in Scotland

…Wildlife Trust led Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project to deliver vital conservation work on the ground and develop new and innovative techniques to halt red squirrel declines, reinforce protections for the core red only populations of the Highlands, and progress long-term aims for population expansion in the North East and Central Lowlands of Scotland. SSRS has been working since… […]

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News: First death of red squirrel from squirrelpox virus confirmed north of Scotland’s Central Belt

…concerned about this latest news and are asking the local community in Dunfermline to take immediate action and protect red squirrels by taking in all garden and woodland wildlife feeders for the next month, as these can contribute to the spread of the disease from greys to reds and between reds once infected. We are also asking for everybody to… […]

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Trees for Life Guest Blog: Boosting red squirrel populations throughout the Highlands

The award-winning environmental charity Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands, and for over 30 years has been working to nurture and expand ancient woodland fragments and reintroduce missing animals. Red squirrels are an iconic Scottish species and a key resident of the Caledonian forest, but habitat loss from deforestation, human persecution, and competition… […]

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This Year's Sightings